Raising your children as Roman Catholics is worse than child abuse, according to militant atheist Richard Dawkins.

In typically incendiary style, Professor Dawkins said the mental torment inflicted by the religions teachings is worse in the long-term than any sexual abuse carried out by priests.

He said he had been told by a woman that while being abused by a priest was a yucky experience, being told as a child that a Protestant friend who died would roast in Hell was more distressing.

Last night politicians and charities condemned the former Oxford professors views as attention-seeking and unhelpful.

The remarks are due to be broadcast tonight by Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera.

Interviewer Mehdi Hasan asked Professor Dawkins about previous comments he made, when he said: Horrible as sexual abuse no doubt was, the damage was arguably less than the long-term psychological damage inflicted by bringing the child up Catholic in the first place.

Mr Hasan asked: You believe that being bought up as a Catholic is worse than being abused by a priest?. Professor Dawkins replied: There are shades of being abused by a priest, and I quoted an example of a woman in America who wrote to me saying that when she was seven years old she was sexually abused by a priest in his car.

At the same time a friend of hers, also seven, who was of a Protestant family, died, and she was told that because her friend was Protestant she had gone to Hell and will be roasting in Hell forever.

I’m surprised it took him this long to connect the dots and reach this conclusion. I’m sure he’ll find a lot of support. Now that he has the support of one of the world’s foremost scientist backing him, President Obama could do a lot with this.

"Being told as a child that a Protestant friend who died would roast in Hell was more distressing."

This, in addition to being a lie, is a *stupid* lie. No matter what this unfortunate woman was allegedly told, it is not a teaching of the Catholic Church that people go to hell for being Protestants.

But of course, one can refute an argument but one cannot refute an anecdote. So by presenting it as the testimony of an unnamed victim, he ensures that you can't say it nay without seeming mean and insensitive to this (probably nonexistent) individual.

Gay State, let's pray for him. It's in the Book.

7
posted on 12/22/2012 3:49:42 PM PST
by Mrs. Don-o
(What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God.)

Interesting that this is going to be aired on al Jazeera. I'm wondering if the interviewer probed the Dawker about Islam and its various anathemas against "infidels" and how they should be ..er..."treated".

What a sicko! It’s better to be sexually abused than to grow up Catholic? What an insult to all those who have been traumatized by sexual abuse. As for him not knowing church teaching, atheists tend to be error-riddled when it comes to knowing what the Church ACTUALLY teaches.

17
posted on 12/22/2012 4:40:30 PM PST
by MDLION
("Trust in the Lord with all your heart" -Proverbs 3:5)

Does Dawkins not understand children are far more likely to be molested/raped by relatives, family friend, even parents, than in ANY church? Rape and attended rape also happens in secular public schools in these times we live in. This Grandpa has taught my grandkids the hug and knee lift maneuver :>}

I bet the secular community he's associated with has about the same rate of these horrors as children brought up in churches. The perps in these kinds of crimes know no boundaries.

18
posted on 12/22/2012 5:08:23 PM PST
by cva66snipe
(Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)

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